When Boston, Mass came out in 1985, it became one of my favorite records of my high school experience in Pepperell, Massachusetts.  I connected with it sonically, locally, and emotionally.  I still do.  Five years ago, the Del Fuegos indulged me with an interview and session at WFUV as part of a reunion tour that included new music in the form of the Silver Star album.  I brought my copy of Boston, Mass – the one spinning on my turntable right now – into ‘FUV that day and the fellows were generous enough to autograph it…

The Zanes brothers have enjoyed rewarding second acts.  Dan Zanes became a purveyor of – “children’s music” or more accurately family friendly music – and has released a wildly well-received string of albums under the moniker of Dan Zanes and Friends.  Warren Zanes is best known for his outstanding biography about Tom Petty simply called Petty.  

It includes his personal experiences with Tom that began when the Del Fuegos were opening shows for TP & The Heartbreakers on his Southern Accents tour and grew into a friendship that afforded him the access to write a proper bio.  Tom Petty is currently on his 40th anniversary tour and will turn up in Queens for a pair of shows on July 26th and 27th at Forest Hills Stadium.

Here are a couple of tunes from that session along with the interview captured on 2/8/12.

The Del Fuegos’ Boston, Mass is part of the Hollandude 100.

As I told Dan Zanes, Warren Zanes, and Woody Giessmann in Studio A on February 9, 2012 – Boston, Mass was a…nay THE defining album in my high school experience so to have them roll into the Bronx after not playing for 20 years was astonishing and a little surreal. They played a handful of tunes from that album and Dan did a new one from the brand new Silver Star EP.

Here’s a link to the full session!

The Zanes brothers, in a long line of musical fraternal collaborators, have a reputation for not getting along but there was zero tension and, in fact, a palpable camaraderie between them. These days they are both living in the NYC area and talk frequently. The Bowery Ballroom show was a triumphant celebration and included covers of Gregory Isaacs’ Night Nurse and Little Walter’s My Babe. They’re doing another show in New York on Saturday, March 3 at the Bell House in Brooklyn.